Mark 12:16 (ASV)

Passage

And they brought it. And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription? And they said unto him, Caesar`s.

Nearby Context

Mark 12:14 And when they were come, they say unto him, Teacher, we know that thou art true, and carest not for any one; for thou regardest not the person of men, but of a truth teachest the way of God: Is it lawful to give tribute unto Caesar, or not?

Mark 12:15 Shall we give, or shall we not give? But he, knowing their hypocrisy, said unto them, Why make ye trial of me? bring me a denarius, that I may see it.

Mark 12:16 And they brought it. And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription? And they said unto him, Caesar`s.

Mark 12:17 And Jesus said unto them, Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar`s, and unto God the things that are God`s. And they marvelled greatly at him.

Mark 12:18 And there come unto him Sadducees, who say that there is no resurrection; and they asked him, saying,

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "brought", "saith", "whose", "image", "superscription", "said", and "caesar". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "brought" and "saith", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 15's "Shall we give or shall we not..." into verse 17's "And Jesus said unto them Render unto...", so "brought" and "saith" belong inside that flow. In Mark context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "brought" and "saith" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.